Reporting from the Sticks: Vespa GTS 300 Super

Steve Williams photo

Since it was introduced, the question has been asked, repeatedly: is there a meaningful performance difference between a Vespa GTS 300 Super and a Vespa GTS 250i.e.? Scooter in the Sticks‘ Steve Williams offers an opinion.

Honda SH150i: Getting serious

In the U.S. and Canada, Honda’s scooters always seemed to be an afterthought. Until now, their scooter lineup consisted of two 50cc scooters (the one with no bodywork costing more than the one with) and a 600cc maxi, occasionally supplemented by devices like the Reflex and Big Ruckus, which proved to have very limited appeal. Honda people have told me the scooters’ mission was to attract people who are afraid of motorcycles, the ultimate aim being to get them onto one of their motorcycle offerings once their fears were assuaged.

However, the Great Scooter Fad of 2008 seems to have convinced Honda a market exists in North America for a serious 150cc scooter. Enter the SH150i. As a Honda lawnmower commercial once said, “This. Changes. Everything!”

You meet the nicest people on a Symba

“Hmm… maybe I should get one of those…” (Orin O’Neill photos)

PORTLAND—While it technically isn’t a scooter, the SYM Symba is definitely old-skool. Old-skool Honda, actually.

Let’s review

Orin O’Neill photo

So Orin, you’ve had the GTS for a month now… what do you think?

At least you can bowl 300

Orin O’Neill photos. Thanks to Steve at Vespa Seattle

I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d swing by Vespa Seattle and have a look at the GTS 250 Super. That’s 250. Two-fifty. Okay, 246cc if you want to be a pain in the butt. You know the story, right?

Riding on the P.E.A.C.E. Scooter

Orin O’Neill photos

I didn’t get to meet Alix Bryan last year when her P.E.A.C.E. Scooter ride arrived in Seattle, due to scheduling difficulties on both our parts. Luckily, this year scheduling for both of us worked considerably better.

ET phone home

Vespa ET4 (Piaggio photo)

It was an odd e-mail from Safety Ed. Could I please find a used Vespa ET or LX for sale?

No, this definitely isn’t old-skool

Unless you’ve been spending your time in a cave on a Himalayan peak, you’ve noticed there’s a great deal of interest in electric vehicles these days. That interest is unfortunately also accompanied by a lot of irrational hype.